No one wishes to see their little pet looking miserable. When it comes to your feline family member, you simply cannot take any chance.
There is a common misconception among many that cats do not need deworming (or, worming, technically speaking). However, nothing can be further from the truth. Your cat, even the ones that stay indoors, can pick up a variety of worms through various means.
In small kittens the worms can pass on from the mother through the milk. In adult cats an infected vermin can be the cause of them picking up worms. The worms that are found in cats and kittens are tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm, and heartworm. Deworming will take care of all types of worm that your pet is infected with.
Your cat needs deworming done at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks of age. Thereafter it is necessary to carry on the treatment every 3 months. However, a visit to the pet so frequently might not be feasible financially. Using over the counter dewormer is the next best choice.
- Read more: How to Deworm Your Cat in 2 Strategies?
But, how do you know if a particular product is safe for your kitten?
To take the risk out of using over the counter dewormer I have prepared a list of the best ones available in the market that are effective and safe. Take a look at the list below and take an educated decision.
List of the best counter Cat dewormer available in the market
Bayer Tapeworm Dewormer –Low Budget Tapeworm Medicine
Bayer has been providing some of the best medicines for pets for years. This tapeworm dewormer for cats is now available over the counter and through Amazon making it easier to buy without giving your vet a visit every time you need one.
The Bayer Tapeworm Dewormer works like a charm on tapeworms in your beloved cat. It is highly effective against Taenia pisiformis and Dipylidium caninum, the two types of tapeworms found in cats. It is also FDA approved, which makes it safe to use as a over the counter drugs.
What I did not like?
The medicine is available in tablet form which might make it easy to administer but the size of the tablet certainly is not too small, making it a bit difficult for your cat to just have it (cats certainly do not like the taste of medicines). One more issue is with the packaging. It is incomprehensible why wouldn’t the bottle be sealed!
PROS
- Tablet form makes it easy to administer
- FDA approval means that it is safe to be used as over the counter medicine
- Targeted for tapeworm, means it is more efficient against the worm than many other multi-purpose medicines
- Low price medicine
CONS
- Bottle is not sealed
- Tablet size is not small enough for some cats
Bayer Cat All Worms – Multipurpose Tapeworm Medicine
Bayer has this product made for all types of worms, with tapeworm and roundworm finding special mention (probably because of the higher risk associated and being more common among the cats). The product is easily available as over the counter medicine and can be used safely for all types of cats.
If you are not too sure about the type of worm that your cat has picked up, this is going to be perfect for you. It is also very effective when you have multiple cats and worm can get transferred from one infected cat to another with ease.
The Bayer all worm dewormer for cats is available in tablet format and comes in a pack of 8 tablets in blister foil. The dosage is 1 tablet for every 4 kg of body weight.
This medicine is not to be administered to kittens below the age of 6 weeks. But remember to keep it out of reach of children. The medicine is FDA approved and to be used strictly for treating animals only.
What I did not like?
Once again, Bayer created a tablet that might not be easy to administer. Unless you are pretty well conversant with giving your cats medicines regularly, you might end up visiting the vet after all.
PROS
- Works on all types of worms, makes it effective even if you are unable to identify the worm
- Tablet format makes it easy to measure the dosage for administering
- Low price product making it affordable for anyone to use regularly
- FDA approval ensures safety and effectiveness
CONS
- Tablets are not quite small, making it a little difficult to administer to your kitten
HomeoPet Wrm Cleaner – Best Homeopathic Liquid Worm Medicine
Not all of us are sure about giving our pet cat chemical medicines without prescription. Then, there are instances of some medicines having negative effect on our pets as well. The hemeoPet Wrm Cleaner is free from any such issue.
Homeopathic treatment is preferred by many and if you happen to be one of those, then this product is perfect for your cat. As for those who associate the working of homeopathy as a placebo effect, animals certainly cannot have it, isn’t it?
The HomeoPet Wrm Cleaner comes in a liquid form making it easy to administer. It is also non-toxic and have no side effect whatsoever. The medicine is effective against all major four types of worms found in cats. It might also be administered to pregnant and lactating cats.
What I did not like?
It has to be administered 10 drops, three times a day, for two weeks. That can be a problem for those working. Also, some cats might not like you pouring liquid in their mouth.
PROS
- It is non-toxic and has no side effect
- It may be administered to pregnant and lactating cats as well
- It is in liquid state, which might be good in some cats, as compared to make then gobble down a pill
- It cures all four major worms that your cat might get infested with
CONS
- It needs to be administered quite a number of times and not really a practical solution for working people
Excel Roundworm Liduid – Lowest Price Cat Roundworm Medicine
The Excel roundworm liquid is the cheapest roundworm medicine you will come across. It is perfect for treating roundworms and can be used for even large size roundworms. The product has got a great taste as well that makes the cats not to refuse it. After all, we all know how difficult it is to administer medicine to cats.
The medicine is means to roundworms only and it is not effective against other types of worms. It soul dot be administered to cats below the age of 6 weeks. The medicine is liquid based and got a flavor so that the cats do not reject it.
What I did not like?
Even though the medicine is liquid, there is no extra seal under the cap. Also, the cap does not come with any type of sealing. This makes it leak at times during transport.
PROS
- Liquid based medicine with flavor makes it easier to administer to most cats
- It is extremely low priced, the cheapest round worm medicine you will find in the market
- Specifically targeted for roundworms, making it more effective than most available medicines
CONS
- There is no seal on the cap and no paper under the cap making the liquid leak during transport
Naturepet D Wormer – Best Natural All-worm Medicine
Naturepet is one of the safest natural deworming medicines available for your pet cat. It is perfectly safe and can be administered with ease.
The liquid medicine is eve preferred by many veterinarians when it comes to regular deworming treatment. The medicine can be used for all types of worms and it even soothes and heals the damage caused by the worms to the intestine of your little pet.
Naturepet is composed of natural ingredients and there is no chance of any side effect. It is for all types of worms – tapeworm, roundworm, ringworm, giardia, pinworm, and whipworm. It can be administered with ease by mixing it with the food.
The medicine can be used for little kittens and eve pregnant and lactating cats. Not only cats, the product is suitable for dogs too, making it perfect for those who own both cats and dogs.
What I did not like?
For a completely natural medicine, the price could have been a bit lower.
PROS
- 100% natural and safe
- Preferred by vets as well
- Effective against all types of worms
- Effective in both cats and dogs
- Can be administered to kittens and pregnant or lactating cats too
CONS
- Price is a bit high
How Do You Know That Your Cat is affected By Worms?
There is a common misconception that only small kittens or cats at an early age will get infested by worm. However, cats of any age can be affected and that can happen to cats that go outside or that stay inside. So, how do you know if your cat has worms?
Here are the common symptoms you should look out for.
Roundwormsymptoms
- Pot or round belly forming within a short time
- Decrease in activity
- Vomiting and diarrhea
Tapewormsymptoms
- Rapid or minor weight loss
- Segments of tapeworm present in the feces and the fur or tail near the anal region
Hookwormsymptoms
- Cat’s stool containing blood
- Diarrhea or loose stool
- Abdominal pain (to be noted through the cat’s behavior)
- Lethargy or decrease in energy and activity
Stomach wormsymptoms
- Vomitting ranging from moderate to severe in quantity
- Extreme and fast weight loss
- Decrease in activity and lethargic
Is Administering Best over the Counter Cat Dewormer Without Prescription A Good Idea?
You have probably seen many people complaining about the over the counter medicine for worms not working or giving trouble to their pets. This raises the question about their safety and how good an idea it is to administer over the counter medicines to your pet without any prescription. Let me tell you in short, the result varies.
Yes, it certainly involves some risk when you are trying to be the doctor without having enough knowledge. Having said so, it is not entirely uncommon for us to administer the medicines and get positive results. After all, the OTC medicines do work in many cases as well. The important thing is to first diagnose the issue correctly.
Tapeworm can be seen with naked eyes and the bits and pieces of the worm come out with stool or found in the anal region. Thus, using an over the counter medicine for tapeworm is easy and quite safe. It also gives most positive result.
Tapeworm can be seen with naked eyes and the bits and pieces of the worm come out with stool or found in the anal region. Thus, using an over the counter medicine for tapeworm is easy and quite safe. It also gives most positive result.
Most over the counter worm medicines are specific to one type of worm only. This makes it important to diagnose the type of worm and you need doctor’s help. I have included many all type deworming medicine for this very reason. It is great for those who know there is worm infestation but not sure what type of worm it is.
Over the counter dewormers can work. It is great if it does. But, if it doesn’t, do not forget to pay your vet a visit.
Why is fecal test negative even though my pet shows symptoms of worms?
Is fecal test always the perfect method to say whether your pet has worms? What if the fecal test is negative and yet the pet is not improving?
These are valid questions. It is true that fecal test is the most effective means to identify worms. However, it is not that your pet will always pass out stool with the parasite or the eggs of the parasite. This makes the test not perfect.
This is the reason you might have to do multiple tests even if the result was negative the first time. Also, the quality of the feces creates difference. If the feces have dried up, the chance to locate the parasite or the eggs become difficult. So, a negative fecal test will not always mean that your pet is in perfect health.
Keep visiting your vet at regular interval. It is important for your cat’s health and benefit. Some symptoms might be noticed by a vet that an untrained eye might never notice. Over the counter medicines are good, but only if you are certain of the issue.
